The present invention relates to rock crushing systems, such as conical rock crushers or gyratory crushers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bearing lubrication system socket seal for rock crushers.
Gyratory rock crushers generally have a downwardly expanding central conical member which rotates or gyrates within an outer upwardly expanding frustroconically shaped member typically called a shell. The shell can be comprised of two or more pieces, e.g., a top shell and a bottom shell. The central conical member generally has a wearing cover or a liner called a mantle.
A spider assembly rests on the top shell, forming the top of the support structure for the machine. The spider assembly is designed to support the shaft while allowing gyratory movement during operation of the machine.
A shaft extends vertically through the rock crusher. This shaft is supported by a bearing in the spider assembly. The central portion of the shaft tapers inwardly in an upward direction to form the central conical crushing member. The central portion of the shaft supports the mantle, which moves with the shaft to effect the gyratory crushing operation.
The vertical position of the shaft with respect to the spider assembly is controlled by a piston arrangement in the spider assembly. The piston arrangement is a complex mechanical apparatus including a piston, a bearing, and an attachment system. The piston is slidably disposed within the spider assembly. The bearing is supported by the piston and supports the shaft while allowing gyratory motion. The bearing has a hemispherical ball disposed in a socket; the hemispherical ball is lubricated by a lubricant such as oil. The attachment system is required to clamp the ball to the shaft.
A lubricant is pumped into a space between ball and socket of the bearing. The lubricant exits through a drain at the top of the spider. A seal, known as a socket seal, below the bearing prevents the lubricant from leaking downward into the crushing chamber. The seal is disposed between the shaft and the piston.
The conventional designs for the seal have several drawbacks. First, the conventional designs do not offer any redundancy in the event a part of the seal fails. Second, conventional seals require additional hardware. Third, conventional seals tend to lose integrity due to the gyratory motion of the shaft. Thus, the performance of conventional seals can be increased.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a socket seal that has built-in redundancy. Further, there is a need for a socket seal that may be installed by hand. Further still, there is a need for a socket seal that does not lose contact with either the shaft or piston while the crusher is operating.
An exemplary embodiment relates to a gyratory crusher. The gyratory crusher has a shell, a spider supported by the shell, a piston disposed within the spider, a bearing supported by the piston, and a shaft supported by the bearing. The gyratory crusher has an annular seal extending between the piston and the shaft. The seal has a number of lips.
Another embodiment relates to a socket seal for a gyratory crusher. The gyratory crusher has a shaft supported by a bearing disposed within a piston. The socket seal includes a ring having a first edge and a second edge. The seal has at least two lips extending from the first edge of the ring. The seal is disposed between the shaft and the piston. The seal is coupled to both the shaft and the piston during operation of the gyratory crusher.
A further embodiment relates to a method of installing an annular seal in a gyratory crusher. The gyratory crusher includes a shell, a spider supported by the shell, and a piston disposed within the spider. The crusher also includes a bearing having a ball and a socket supported by the piston, a shaft supported by the bearing, and a seal space. The seal space is defined by the socket, piston, and shaft. The method includes the steps of providing the annular seal and removing the bearing. Access is gained to the seal space by removing the bearing. The method then includes installing the seal in the seal space.
A still further embodiment relates to a gyratory crusher including a shell, a spider, a piston, a bearing, a shaft, and an annular seal. The spider is supported by the shell and the piston is disposed within the spider. The bearing is supported by the piston and has a ball and socket defining a lubricated interface. The shaft is supported by the bearing. The annular seal has a plurality of lips. The seal is disposed below the lubricated interface. The seal prevents downward flow of lubricant.